FDA halts production at Delaware cheese plant

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration has halted operations at a Delaware cheese plant after an outbreak of listeria linked to the company's cheese killed one person and sickened seven others.

This is only the second time the FDA has shut down a plant after gaining that authority in a 2011 food safety law. The agency said Tuesday that its inspectors found unsanitary conditions at Roos Foods in Kenton, Del., including a badly leaking roof and rusting and deteriorating equipment.

The FDA says it took the action because food manufactured by the company could cause "serious adverse health consequences or death to humans."

The company has already recalled a large variety of its products, including many cheeses in its Amigo, Anita, Mexicana, and Santa Rosa de Lima brands.